2008-06-09_REVISION - C1980007 (3)

Home Browse Search

Fish and Wildlife • first release of lynx occurred in 1999 and as of 2006; there have been a total. of 218 lynx reintroduced into southwestern Colorado (CDOW 2006). Both aerial and satellite surveys are conducted on a routine basis to document survival, movement patterns, reproduction and habitat use. The majority of the lynx have stayed within the core release area (CDOW 2006). The core area lies mostly in high elevation areas in the southwestern corner of Colorado bounded by Taylor Mesa on the west, the Gunnison basin on the north, Poncha Pass on the east and the New Mexico border on the south (CDOW 2005). The habitat within. the core release area consists of mature Engelmann spruce/sub-alpine fir forest stands with 42 to 65 percent canopy cover and 15 to 20 percent conifer understory cover (CDOW 2006). There have been no sightings of lynx in the project area or within the Deep Creek, Minnesota Creek or Raven Creek areas. Lynx were observed in the Taylor Park area and on the south side of the Gunnison Basin (Madariaga 2007a). In addition, lynx have been observed in the West Elk Mountains adjacent to the project area (USFS 2003), and while the project area represents only fragmented lynx habitat, it is possible that lynx could use the area. Less than 2 percent of the project area contains the spruce-fir habitat that is important for snowshoe hares to exist. The project area is located within the northeastern portion of the Mount Guimison lynx analysis unit (LAU) (Figure 12) and contains a limited amount of denning habitat, winter foraging habitat and "other" habitat (capable but currently not denning or winter foraging habitat). The denning habitat within the Mount Gunnison LAU is comprised of high-elevation forests that contain large amounts of coarse woody debris on the forest floor, or other forest floor structural elements that constitute overhead cover and are close to foraging habitat. On the GMUG Forest, these conditions are usually found in mature spiuce- fir, lodgepole pine and cold-wet or cool moist mixed-conifer forests (USFS 2005c). The denning habitat is comprised of spruce-fir community that has snore than 40 percent canopy cover and large to very large trees and aspen forest that has a canopy cover of more than 40 percent and 40 percent or snore conifer- only tree stands with size class of large or very large trees. Lynx winter foraging habitat is typically stands with the potential to sustain populations of snowshoe bare and red squirrel. populations throughout the winter. On the GMUG Forest, these types of stands are commonly found in high-elevation spruce-fir, cold-wet, and to a lesser extent, cool-moist mixed conifer and lodgepole pine, aspen mixed with significant amounts of conifer regeneration, and riparian slu-ub lands that are near higher-elevation, primarily conifer habitats (USFS 2005c). The winter foraging habitat in the project area is a spruce-fir community with canopy cover of more than 40 percent and all stands with small or medium trees. In the project area, there are approximately 79 acres of suitable denning habitat which represents 1.4 percent of the habitat suitable for denning within the LAU, 55 acres of mapped winter foraging habitat which represents 13 percent of the winter foraging habitat in the LAU, and 1,172 acres of "other" habitat which represents 8 percent of the other habitat in the LAU. While the majority of the denning and winter foraging habitat within the LAU has no connectivity to the habitat in the project area, there is small amount of denning habitat within the eastern portion of the project area that has connectivity to a larger more contiguous area of denning habitat (Figure 13). Snowshoe hares are the primary prey species for lynx. Snowshoe bare habitat in Colorado occurs in sub-alpine coniferous forests. Only 1 percent of the project area is representative snowshoe bare habitat. Northern Leopard Frogs Northern leopard frogs have been declining in Colorado as a result of habitat alteration, Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS 97